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Working freelanceTaking the plunge to shrug off the corporate cloak (it's cosy! It fits well! I've had it for years...) is becoming more and more common. It's not unusual to have several careers in different fields, reinventing, regenerating and redeveloping - "sunlighting" is the new moonlighting.Twenty first century people aren't afraid of challenges, of stepping outside their comfort zones, of swapping lives. No more "forty years with the same organisation, here's my gold watch to prove my loyalty" - it's all about building up a portfolio of skills over a period of time, identifying strengths, capitalising on opportunities and transferring the package to the next best place. Sometimes that place is you. If you're thinking about becoming a freelancer, ask yourself the following personal questions: * Am I organised? * Am I focused? * Am I disciplined? * Do I value myself and my skills? * Can I exist without the validation of my colleagues and the daily gossip round the coffee machine? Then come the serious ones... * Is there a market for my skill/profession? * Who do I know? * Who do THEY know? * Do I know anyone who freelances in my field? * How would this impact on my life? * How would this affect my day to day finances? * And how does the free lunch thing work?! Becoming a freelancer is risky: you need shedloads of confidence, self-belief and positivity. You also need the support of your family, partner, friends - or else the bloody-mindedness to do it anyway! It's not a decision to take lightly - but it IS a decision to take. Let R S Thomas's words wash over you. Sit by the fire and contemplate a while.. Job Davies, eighty-five Winters old, and still alive After the slow poison And treachery of the seasons. Miserable? Kick my arse! It needs more than the rain's hearse, Wind-drawn to pull me off The great perch of my laugh. What's living but courage? Paunch full of hot porridge Nerves strengthened with tea, Peat-black, dawn found me Mowing where the grass grew, Bearded with golden dew. Rhythm of the long scythe Kept this tall frame lithe What to do? Stay green. Never mind the machine, Whose fuel is human souls Live large, man, and dream small. Lore - R.S. Thomas Freelancing is a lifestyle, a mentality, an attitude. The list below is what it ISN't: * Water cooler gossip * Clock-watching * Compulsory Corrie debrief * Office politics * Fixed hours * Colleagues with "personal odour" issues * Excessive political correctness This is what it is: "A person, usually self-employed, offering services on a temporary basis, to several businesses, for particular assignments" according to The Concise Oxford Dictionary. Interestingly, the next entry is "freeloader"... Freelancing is making your skills work for you in a way that accommodates your work/life balance; it opens up the potential for you to steer your career in a direction that suits you. It's about working at your own pace, taking responsibility for your own future, being captain of your own destiny... FACT: freelancers tend to earn more money per hour than permanent employees. There's a constant turnover of people, working environments, cultural diversity, mental stimulation. Who said a change is as good as a rest? Spot on. Freelancing is synonymous with flexibility and adaptability. While you may have elected to opt out of the 9 - 5 culture, successful freelancing means being able to say yes very quickly - and no when necessary. Time management skills have never been so important: organisational flair is vital and the resilience/stamina/motivation to keep going is paramount. "A freelance gets paid per word, per piece or perhaps." -Robert Benchley |
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